The field of art to which this invention pertains is the production of hydrogenated distillable hydrocarbonaceous compounds from a hydrocarbonaceous feed having a non-distillable component and a feed comprising halogenated organic compounds.
More specifically, the invention relates to a process for the simultaneous hydrogenation of a first feedstock comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds and having a non-distillable component, and a second feedstock comprising halogenated organic compounds which process comprises: (a) contacting the first feedstock with a first hydrogen-rich gaseous stream having a temperature greater than the first feedstock in a flash zone at flash conditions thereby increasing the temperature of the first feedstock and vaporizing at least a portion thereof to provide a hydrocarbonaceous vapor stream comprising hydrogen, and a heavy product comprising the non-distillable component; (b) contacting the hydrocarbonaceous vapor stream comprising hydrogen with a hydrogenation catalyst in a first hydrogenation reaction zone at hydrogenation conditions to increase the hydrogen content of the hydrocarbonaceous compounds contained in the hydrocarbonaceous vapor stream; (c) condensing at least a portion of the resulting effluent from the first hydrogenation reaction zone to produce a second hydrogen-rich gaseous stream and a first liquid hydrogenated stream comprising hydrogenated distillable hydrocarbonaceous compounds; (d) reacting the second feedstock comprising halogenated organic compounds and at least a portion of the second hydrogen-rich gaseous stream with a hydrogenation catalyst in a second hydrogenation reaction zone at hydrogenation conditions selected to produce hydrocarbonaceous compounds and at least one water-soluble inorganic halide compound; (e) contacting the resulting effluent from the second hydrogenation zone containing hydrocarbonaceous compounds and at least one water-soluble inorganic halide compound with a halide-lean aqueous scrubbing solution; (f) introducing a resulting admixture of the effluent from the second hydrogenation zone and the halide-lean aqueous scrubbing solution into a separation zone to provide a third hydrogen-rich gaseous stream, a second liquid hydrogenated stream comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds and a halide-rich aqueous scrubbing solution containing at least a portion of the water-soluble inorganic halide compound; (g) recycling and heating at least a portion of the third hydrogen-rich gaseous stream recovered in step (f) into step (a) as at least a portion of the first hydrogen-rich gaseous stream; and (h) recovering the first liquid hydrogenated stream comprising hydrogenated distillable hydrocarbonaceous compounds from step (c) and the second liquid hydrogenated stream comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds from step (f).
There is a steadily increasing demand for technology which is capable of the simultaneous hydrogenation of a first feedstock comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds and having a non-distillable component and a second feedstock comprising halogenated organic compounds. Previous techniques utilized to dispose of such feedstocks which are often undesirable waste effluents such as used lubricating oils and spent solvents, for example, have frequently become environmentally unpopular or illegal and, in general, have always been expensive. With the increased environmental emphasis for the treatment and recycle of chlorinated organic product and waste oils, there is an increased need for the conversion of these products in the event that they become unwanted or undesirable. For example, during the disposal or recycle of potentially environmentally harmful halogenated organic waste streams, an important step in the total solution to the problem is the conditioning of the halogenated organic stream which facilitates the ultimate resolution to provide product streams which may be handled in an environmentally acceptable manner. In another example, large quantities of used motor oil are generated and discarded which oil would provide a large potential supply of feedstock for the present invention while providing an environmentally responsible disposal. Therefore, those skilled in the art have sought to find feasible techniques to convert such feedstocks to provide hydrocarbonaceous product streams which may be safely and usefully employed or recycled. Previous techniques which have been employed include incineration which, in addition to potential pollution considerations, fails to recover valuable hydrocarbonaceous materials.